Turret

ABSTRACT

1. Turret.  
     2. The invention relates to a turret with  
     a housing ( 10 ) to be connected to a machine tool,  
     a rotatably mounted toolholder ( 12 ) for mounting of machining tools ( 14, 116 ),  
     and an electric drive ( 26 ) for swinging the toolholder ( 12 ) into a particular working station for the machining tools ( 14, 16 ),  
     the electric drive ( 26 ) having a rotor ( 28 ) and a stator ( 30 ) with coil windings,  
     the rotor ( 28 ) of the electric drive ( 26 ) being connected to the toolholder ( 12 ) and the stator ( 30 ) to elements ( 32 ) of the housing ( 10 ),  
     the rotary movement for the toolholder ( 12 ) being generated without gearing and directly by the electric drive ( 26 ), and  
     the rotor ( 28 ) enclosing the stator ( 30 ). in that both the rotor ( 28 ) and the stator ( 30 ) are enclosed by the toolholder ( 12 ) and in that the rotor ( 28 ) is in direct contact with the toolholder ( 12 ) on the side of the external circumference and in this way are rigidly connected to the toolholder ( 12 ) for transmission of torque, the rotor-stator layout in question creates a so-called external rotor for the electric drive, in which layout the rotor circulates externally with the toolholder and the stator is mounted internally on the housing.

[0001] The invention relates to a turret with a housing to be connected to a machine tool, with a rotatably mounted toolholder to receive machining tools, and with an electric drive to swing the toolholder into a particular operating position for the machining tools; the electric drive has a rotor and a stator with coil windings, the rotor of the electric drive being connected to the toolholder and the stator with elements of the housing and the rotary movement for the toolholder being generated without gearing and performed directly by the electric drive, and the rotor enclosing the stator.

[0002] DE 199 19 553 C2 discloses a generic, gearless turret with a rotatably mounted toolholder with at least two tools which may be swung into a particular working position for a tool by means of an electric pivoting drive; the toolholder is connected non-rotatably to a hollow shaft, and by way of this hollow shaft is rotatably mounted in the housing of the toolholder. A so-called ring motor is used as the pivoting drive, so that the electric motor, free of additional converting mechanical power transmission elements, engages the hollow shaft directly and by it generates pivoting movement for the toolholder.

[0003] The ring motors used for this purpose in the state of the art are electric motors with an electric winding in the stator, so that torque may be applied to the hollow shaft, which is rigidly connected to the toolholder so as not to rotate. The ring motor employed in the state of the art is in the form of an internal rotor, that is, the stator connected to the housing along with the coil elements encloses the rotor on the side of the external circumference, this rotor being connected to the toolholder as an integral part of the hollow shaft.

[0004] The conventional ring motor is in this instance mounted in the area of the free end of the hollow shaft; the toolholder, is in contrast rigidly mounted together with its machining tools on the other free end of this shaft. The respective structure occupies much installation space, especially on the housing side, so that a “slim” housing cannot be built with the conventional solution; this limits the installation potential for the conventional turret, especially if this turret is to be used for machine tools which cannot provide the installation space required precisely because of their size or configuration. Since, in addition, the electric drive for the toolholder with the machining tools is mounted a relatively great distance from this toolholder, the respective power introduced for drive power is not the optimum, since the hollow shaft may act as a torsion spring.

[0005] DE 197 19 173 A1 also discloses a generic turret with switchgear having a conical braking surface and a frontal braking surface on a first and a second brake disk movable relative to each other, this particular frontal brake surface being spaced from the respective tapering braking surface at a distance such that during braking the tapering braking surface initially acts to center and decelerate the movement of one brake disk in order to stop and fix the state of rest (switching position) with high positional accuracy by means of the frontal brake surface. As a result, the conventional switching device for the turrethead is made up of a small number of simple elements which are robust and long-lived; the switching device of high-torque and low-speed motor may be moved into a precise angular position. In the case of the conventional solution the ring motor is again positioned on the housing side as with the conventional solution described earlier, so that the conventional solution cannot be readily applied, especially under cramped installation conditions.

[0006] DE 37 01 090 A1 discloses a switchable-angle modular unit for machine tools, especially also for use with turretheads, the modular unit having a stationary element and a component mounted rotatably around it, a drive motor, gearing, a detent device, and a signal device for registering the angular positions of the rotatable element, and the signal device consisting of a plurality of zero-current detection or coding elements introduced into one of the opposite rotatable elements and a decoding or reading device mounted in another element and operating in conjunction with it. This conventional configuration makes it possible to effect position-oriented recognition of the angular position of the rotatable element, without occurrence of false signals triggered by bounces and without the need for additional installation space. On the contrary, contact-free recognition of the indexing position is possible. The components of the switchable-angle component in question are mounted for the sake of space conservation on the tool disk or toolholder, specifically in the transitional area between the toolholder and the stationary housing elements of the turret. Because of the cramped installation space at the installation location in question, only an electric motor small in structure may be employed, a motor of relatively low power. Transmission of drive torque to the toolholder or the tool disk by way of gearing also consumes drive output along with installation space, and because of the great number of parts the conventional solution is costly in production and susceptible to the breakdowns which may occur.

[0007] On the basis of this state of the art the object of the invention is further to improve the conventional turrets, while retaining their advantages, in such a way that only little installation space is required on the machine tool side for fastening the turret in position, higher output can be achieved for the electric drive, and the higher drive output can be transmitted to the toolholder so that more or less torsion-proof machining can be accomplished with the tools. The object as thus formulated is achieved with a turret having the features specified in claim 1 in its entirety.

[0008] In that, as specified in the descriptive portion of claim 1, both the rotor and the stator are enclosed by the toolholder and in that the rotor rests directly against the toolholder and in this way is rigidly connected to the toolholder for transmission of torque, the rotor-stator assembly in question forms a so-called external rotor for the electric drive, one in which the rotor circulates externally with the toolholder and the stator is mounted inside the housing. Since the external rotor in question is integrated entirely into the toolholder itself, where more installation space is available, a drive design can be produced which is substantially stronger than that of the conventional solutions, in which the interior rotor must enclose a hollow shaft of smaller diameter, so that less winding space is available for the drive design. As a result of integration of the external rotor-motor into the toolholder, the drive output is transmitted directly to the latter without the use of transmission gearing. Since the drive design transferred to the interior of the toolholder requires no installation space on the housing side itself of the turret, a “slim” turret is produced on its housing side, so that it requires little installation space on a machine tool. Especially with smaller machine tools or with ones which have little installation space relative to the machining situation it is possible only with the turret design claimed for the invention to make successful use of electric drive concepts for swinging the tool disk.

[0009] Since, in addition, the turret claimed for the invention has no drivable hollow shaft, the high number of elements is reduced, this being a feature which both lowers production costs and reduces the possibility of wear which results in increased down time for the turret. It has been found to be especially advantageous to design the electric drive as a synchronous motor. Since the speed of such motors depends on the frequency, but is independent of the load applied, speed-stable control is possible for the tool disk or the toolholder, regardless of the number of machine tools mounted on the holder and regardless of their weight or the respective machining situation. Since the turret claimed for the invention manages without transmission gearing, the drive concept as a whole is designed to be relatively rigid, and this favors machining accuracy. Although the overall drive concept is essentially an integral part of the tool disk, undesirable vibrations which could have an undesirable effect on machining accuracy do not occur.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the turret claimed for the invention the outer circumference of the rotor is spaced a radial distance from the longitudinal axis of the turret which is greater than half the respective distance of an outer circumferential section of the toolholder from this longitudinal axis. The stator is in this case mounted in the area of the free end of the columnar housing element, which extends stepwise in the direction of the toolholder up to a diameter which is larger than a base housing element over which the toolholder is mounted on the housing of the turret.

[0011] In view of these measures use of an electric motor built with a large diameter with a large number of rotor and stator windings is possible, so that in this way a high degree of power and torque can be achieved for the drive of the toolholder.

[0012] In an especially preferred embodiment of the turret claimed for the invention a locking device is provided between toolholder and the housing. The locking device is preferably in the form of a brake, in particular a multiple-disk brake, or of a coupling, especially a serrated clutch (Hirth gearing, serration). The locking device makes it possible to fix the toolholder definitively in its machining position after being swung, and the forces occurring in machining with the machine tools need not, as is the case with the conventional solution disclosed in DE 199 19 553 C2, be absorbed by the relatively low-power electric drive, but rather the load is completely removed from the electric drive because of the locking device and power is introduced into the housing exclusively by way of the locking device in question.

[0013] On the basis of the installation space available on the toolholder, the external rotor motor claimed for the invention can have substantially larger dimensions than the conventional internal rotor motor; consequently, higher drive power is also available, so that, depending on the machining situation, the electric power of the external rotor motor may also be entirely sufficient for reliable absorption of the machining forces without a locking device.

[0014] If in a preferred embodiment of the turret claimed for the invention the locking device is operated hydraulically or pneumatically by way of an operating device, very high braking or coupling forces can be made available by way of appropriate actuation, so that forces of any intensity arising in operation can be transferred into the housing of the turret without causing failure of this turret.

[0015] In another preferred embodiment of the turret claimed for the invention the stator may be cooled by way of a cooling device, especially one involving water cooling, the cooling lines being mounted in a part of the carrier as part of the housing. Because of the corresponding cooling device, the heating that might occur in the stator at markedly higher torque values can be absorbed and transferred to the exterior so that heating of material, something which may occasionally impair zero-backlash and high-precision machining, cannot occur, either in the housing or in the toolholder.

[0016] In another preferred embodiment of the turret claimed for the invention the holder element has a guide channel in which at least delivery of current for the electric drive takes place. The drive can accordingly be provided with current for the electric drive from the interior of the housing so as to conserve space; it is also conceivable that the holder element in the housing might be configured in such a way that shafts actuatable by a separate drive motor could be guided to the toolholder in such a way that actuatable machine tools on the toolholder could be used. A corresponding energy transmission and drive concept is disclosed in DE 40 18 543 C1 and EP 0 302 998 A1; this conventional solution could be transferred to the turret claimed for the invention.

[0017] In another preferred embodiment of the turret claimed for the invention the respective position of the pivotable toolholder relative to the fixed housing can be detected by a sensor device, in particular an angular position transmitter. A reading head of the angular position transmitter is mounted preferably on the holder element, this head having as an additional element a measuring wheel which is mounted on the front side of the toolholder and pivotable with it. The corresponding monitoring device is also mounted inside the toolholder or tool disk so as to conserve space. In addition, the accompanying sensor or monitoring device makes it possible to actuate the electric drive by way of a suitable control concept in such a way that sure positioning of the machine tools for a forthcoming machining step is made certain.

[0018] The turret claimed for the invention is described in detail in what follows with reference to one embodiment.

[0019] The sole FIGURE illustrates the turret with toolholder and holder housing in outline and not drawn to scale, partly in section and partly as a covered object.

[0020] The turret shown in the FIGURE has a housing identified as a whole as 10 for connection of the turret to a machine tool not shown. In addition, the turret has a toolholder 12 (tool disk) mounted rotatably opposite the housing 10 to accommodate machine tools 14, 16. The machine tool 14 is mounted axially on the front side 18 of the turret 12; the machining tool 16, in contrast, is mounted on a radial circumference 20 of the toolholder 12. The machine tool 14 carries a kind of turning tool, while the machine tool 16 in contrast has a drill bit 24. The turret also has an electric drive designated as a whole as 26. This drive serves the purpose of swinging the toolholder 12 into the respective operating position for the machine tools 14, 16.

[0021] The electric drive 26 has a rotor 28 with magnetic elements not shown, for example, ones in the form of permanent magnets. It also has a stator 30 with coil elements not show in form of a plurality of coil windings. The rotor 28 of the electric drive 26 is rigidly connected to the toolholder 12; the stator 30 is similarly connected to the elements 32 of the housing 10. As is also to be seen from the FIGURE, the toolholder 12 in the form of a disk encloses the rotor 28, the stator 30 being mounted immediately beneath the latter. Consequently, the entire electric drive 26 is mounted within the swivel plane and integrated into it in the area of the toolholder 12. This results in a compact layout, and because of the enlarged diameter of the toolholder 12 relative to other housing elements, a large amount of space is available for installation of the electric drive 26, which may also be designed with enlarged diameter so that a plurality of magnetic elements and coil windings may be provided. In this way an external rotor motor with a very high performance rating is developed, especially with respect to the torque to be delivered.

[0022] The housing 10 has a base housing element 34 into which the housing element 32 is plugged, the diameter of the free end, shown in the FIGURE, of this element increasing incrementally. Because of this incremental increase, dependable pivot mounting is achieved for the toolholder 12 pivotable about the axis 36. Since it is advantageous to intercept the forces arising on the toolholder 12 during machining as near the machining plane as possible and deflect these forces into the housing 10, the relevant bearings for the pivot drive are mounted in a cluster in the area of the enlargement of the housing element 32 in the planes of operation. Thus, the axial bearings are designated as 38 and 40 in the drawing and the associated radial bearings as 42 and 44. All the bearings in question are designed as needle bearings and mounted in pairs as 38, 42 and 40, 44 on the stepped shoulders of the widening columnar housing element 32.

[0023] In addition, a locking device designated as a whole as 46 is present between the toolholder 12 and the housing 10. This locking device 46 is in the form of a multiple-plate brake, a first stack 48 of plates mounted in succession being rigidly connected to the toolholder 12 by way of a screw connection. The corresponding plates of a second stack 50 are inserted into the spaces between the plates of the first stack 48; the second stack 50, in turn, is rigidly connected by way of a screw connection to the front of the section step 52 of the housing element 32. The spaces between the plates of the first stack 48 and the second stack 50 are selected so that when the locking device 46 is not in operation these plates slide by each other unimpeded as the turret 12 is rotated about is axis 36. If the pivoting process is terminated by the electric drive 26, that is, if, for example, the machine tool 16 has been pivoted to the station of the machine tool 14, and conversely the locking device 46 may be operated and the plates of the first and second stacks 48 and 50 are pressed against each other so that the resulting frictional forces exert a braking moment high enough so that the machining forces which occur during machining with the respective tool 14 or 16 may be definitely diverted by way of the toolholder 12 into the housing element 32 and thus into the housing 10. The latter in turn is rigidly connected to the base of the machine tool (not shown).

[0024] A hydraulic or pneumatic operating device 54 is provided for actuation of the locking device 46 for exertion of braking force. The operating device 54 in question has a ring piston 56 having on its one free end a friction flange 58 by means of which the plate stacks 48, 50 may be pressed together to generate a frictional force. The other free end of the ring piston 56 accordingly ends in an annular space 60 in the cylindrical base housing element 34; when a medium is applied to the annular space 60 by way of a delivery line 62 (part of which is shown), the usual hydraulic pressure in any event suffices for exertion of an operating force to the ring stacks 48, 50. If, on the other hand, the annular space 60 is kept free of pressure, and so no medium flows over the delivery line 62 under pressure, the plate stacks 48, 50 are released and the individual plates initially pressed together are returned to their original unlocked position, for example, by the pivoting movement of the toolholder 12. Since the plates are each held in place on their free ends by screws 64, a sort of spring-powered structure is created which ensures return of the plates to their original situation, in which the multiple-plate brake is released.

[0025] However, a coupling, such as one in the form of a three-part serration (DE 3 817 893 A1 and EP 0 514 626 A1), could also be used in place of the multiple-plate brake illustrated.

[0026] The braking and coupling system in question ensures that the toolholder 12 is retained in its prescribed position for machining, and the positioning does not depend on the potential power output of the motor. However, in view of the high power with which the electric drive 26 is provided, it is also possible to dispense with the locking device 46 and to absorb the machining forces exclusively by way of the electric drive.

[0027] The stator 30 with its coil stacks may be cooled by a cooling device 66. Consideration may be given in this case to water cooling or a device with a suitable cooling lubricant, the coolant lines being mounted in the form of an inlet line 68 and an outlet line 70 in the support element 72 as part 32 of the housing 10. In the sectional expansion of the housing element 32 on the external circumference side cooling sections 74 joined together to form a coil are provided which receive the coolant from the inlet 68 and, after this coolant has passed through, transfer the coolant to the outlet 70, which discharges into another outlet line which, as viewed in the line of vision to the FIGURE extends out of sight behind the inlet line 76 along the axis 36. The inlet line 76 in question and the outlet line are then connected to a supply unit (not shown) on the machine tool.

[0028] The support element 72, and so the housing element 32, have a guide channel 78 which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis 36 of the turret and through which the current lead-in 80 for the electric drive 26 runs. The current lead-in 80 is connected in particular to the coil windings of the stator 30. In an embodiment of the turret not discussed in detail, the channel guide 78 in question could also be supplemented by a stationary hollow shaft over which the drive devices could then run if rotary machining with the machine tools is desired. A power supply column to be used for this purpose is described in DE 40 18 543 C1 and so will not be dealt with further at this point.

[0029] The particular position of the swiveling toolholder 12 relative to the stationary housing 10 may be detected by a sensor device designated as a whole as 82, in particular one in the form of an angular position generator. For this purpose there is mounted on support element 72 a reading head 84 of the angular position generator which has as an additional element a measuring wheel 86 which is mounted on a front plate 88 of the toolholder 12 and may be swiveled together with it. For the respective mounting, on its side facing away from the exterior the front plate 88 has a central shoulder 90 which extends coaxially with the axis 36 and engages a recess 92 in the support element 72. The ringshaped measuring wheel 86 then extends along the external circumference of the central shoulder 90 in question; the reading head 84 must carry out sensing at only one point. In order for the data of the angular position generator in question to be forwarded to a control unit, a measurement or data line 94 is connected to the reading head 84; this line as well is carried in the channel guide 78 of the support element 72 or the housing element 32.

[0030] By means of the turret design claimed for the invention the electric external rotor drive is mounted immediately in the swiveling area of the toolholder 12; the electric drive 26 in question can apply very high torque. Integration of the electric drive 26 into the area of rotation of the toolholder 12 accompanied by mounting of the relevant bearing points 38, 40, 42, and 44 in the direction of the machining plane makes a zero-play and zero-slippage machining process possible with the respective tools 14 or 16. In addition, the hydraulically actuatable brake in the form of the locking device 46 makes certain that forces arising during machining will be reliably diverted into the housing 10. 

1. A turret with a housing (10) to be connected to a machine tool a rotatably mounted toolholder (12) for mounting machine tools (14, 16), and an electric drive (26) for swinging the toolholder 12 into the particular operating station for the machine tools (14, 16), the electric drive (26) having a rotor (28) and a stator (30) with coil windings, with the rotor (28) of the electric drive (26) being connected to the toolholder (12) and the stator (30) to elements (32) of the housing (10), the rotary movement for the toolholder (12) being performed without gearing and directly by the electric drive (26), and the rotor (28) surrounding the stator (30), characterized in that both the rotor (28) and the stator (30) are embraced by the toolholder (12) and in that the rotor (28) is in direct contact over its external circumference with the toolholder (12) and is rigidly connected to the toolholder (12) so as to transmit torque.
 2. The turret as specified in claim 1, wherein the external circumference of the rotor (28) is separated from the longitudinal axis (36) of the turret by a radial spacing which is greater than one-half the respective distance of an external circumferential section of the toolholder (12) from this longitudinal axis (36).
 3. The turret as specified in claim 1 or 2, wherein the stator (30) is mounted in the area of the free end of the columnar housing element (32), which increases stepwise in the direction of the toolholder (12) up to a diameter which is greater than a base housing element (34) by way of which the toolholder (12) is mounted on the housing (10) of the turret.
 4. The turret as specified in claim 3, wherein a locking device (46) is mounted on the transitional surface between the toolholder (12) and the base housing element (34).
 5. The turret as specified in claim 4, wherein the external diameter of the locking device (46) is smaller than the external diameter of the stator (30).
 6. The turret as specified in claim 4 or 5, wherein the locking device (46) is mounted on the side facing the housing (10) facing away from the front side of the toolholder (12).
 7. The turret as specified in one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the electric drive (26) is in the form of an asynchronous or synchronous motor.
 8. The turret as specified in one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the locking device (46) consists of a brake, in particular a multiple-plate brake (48, 50) or of a coupling, in particular a gear coupling (serration).
 9. The turret as specified in one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the locking device (46) is actuatable hydraulically or pneumatically by way of an operating device (54).
 10. The turret as specified in one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the stator (30) may be cooled by way of a cooling device (66), in particular one in cooling with water, and wherein the coolant lines (68, 70, 74, 76) are mounted in a support element (72) as part (32) of the housing (10).
 11. The turret as specified in claim 10, wherein the support element (72) has a guide channel (78) over which at least the current lead-in (80) for the electric drive (26) extends.
 12. The turret as specified in one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the particular position of the pivotable toolholder (12) relative to the stationary housing (10) may be fixed by way of a sensor device (82), an angular position generator in particular.
 13. The turret as specified in claim 12, wherein a hollow shaft rotation generator is mounted between the support element (72) and the front plate (88) of the toolholder (12).
 14. The turret as specified in one of claims 1 to 13, wherein stationary or rotating machine tools (14, 16) are mounted on the radial circumference (20) of the tool disk (12) or on the front side (18) of this disk. 